Type-writing machine.



E. H. LORENZ.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1908.

Patented D66. 29, 1914.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mvnvron WITNE SSE .S

E. H. LORENZ.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, mos.

INVENTOH AT OHNEYS.

Patented Dec.29,1914.

3 SHBETS8HBET 2.

WI TNE 5 SE S B. H. LOBENZ.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FIL ED JUNE 5,1908.

Patented Dee. 29, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 3.

[Ill/EN TOR WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nnwann H. LORENZ, or namronn, CONNECTICUT, assrenon, BY mnsnn ASSIGN-mnn'rs, TO THE NOISELESS rYrnwm'rnncomrANY, or mnnnnrown, commen- GUI, ACORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it lmown that I, EDWARD H. Lonnnz, acitizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Type- Writing Machines, of which the following is afull, clear,.and exact description, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same. I

This invention relates to typewriting machines, and particularly to thatclass of machines employing straight thrust type bars.

The present invention embodies improvements over the type bar actuatingmechanism disclosed in the patent to Wellington P. Kidder, No. 567,241,patented September 8, 1896.

One of the objects of the invention is to improve the touch in the keyactiens of typewriting machines of the above character.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed outhereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinatipns of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope ofthe appli-' cation of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated one of the variouspossible embodim'ents of my invention, Figure 1 is a view takenlongitudinally through a typewriting machine embodying the invention,

the parts being shown in normal position;-

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the positions assumed by the parts whena type bar is-projected to impression; Fig. 3 is a similarview, butshowing a type of actuating cam such as is shown in the patent toKidder, No. 567,241. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are, respectively, construction,displacement and velocity diagrams graphically illustrating 'certaindistinctive features of the type action.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral figures of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Application filed June 5, 190 8. Serial No. 436,743.

type bars, one of which is shown at 3. These type bars are disposed inarcuate form upon the bed, and are directed to a common point on theplaten 4, which is shown disposed in front of and in contact with aplaten roll, shown conventionally at 5.

The key levers, one of which is shown at 6, extend through slotted combmembers 7 and are pivoted upon a knife edge fulcrum 8 supported in theframe work of the machine, and are held in normal position and returnedto such position when depressed by means of springs, such as shown at10. Upon a ledge 11 formed upon the frontlwall of the frame work of themachine, are supported a plurality of blocks, one of these blocks beingshown at 12, said blocks being adapted to be adjusted forwardly or backwardly as by means of an adjustable screw 13, and are held in anydesired adjusted osition by means ofa clamp screw 14. Sue

of these blocks isprovided for supporting.

the actuating mechanism for each of the several type bars.

The mechanism above described forms no part of my present invention, buta description thereof is given in order .to render the objects of theinvention clearer of understanding.

*wiveled upon a forward extension 15 of block 12, as by means of a pivotpin 16, is a link 17 said link having pivotally attached thereto at 18 asecond link 20, which is in turn pivotally connected at 21 with the keylever 3. In the present instance, link 20 is constituted by twosimilarly formed members connected together at their pivotal portions,and also at22 at a point intermediate their lengths, said linksstraddling the type straightened, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings,operates to project the type bar against the platen in which positionthe pivotal points '16, 18 and 21 are'substantially in alinement asshown. Link 17 of the toggle is provided with a cam groove 23, the outerportion 24 of which 'is gradually curved, said groove being sharplydeflected at 25, intermediate its ends and thereafter being provide.with a curved'portion 26, said doflected portion 26 being so disposedthat the central line of the deflection. if prolonged, would passclosely adjacent the fulcrum 16.

link 17, and carrying a roller 31, which is I located in the cam groove23, and is adapted to traverse the same thereby to swing links 17 and 20to the position shown in 2 to project the type bar to impression. A link32, pivotally attached to lever at 33, is

provided at its lower end with a hooked por-- tion 34 which extendsthrough an eye 35 in the key lever and furnishes an actuating connectionbetween said key lever and lever 30 and actuates the latter when the keylever is depressed.

When the parts are in the position of rest, as shown in Fig. 1, thesharply deflected portion 26 of the cam groove is adJacent and below theroller 31 and inclines sharply toward the type bar 3, and it will beseen that when the key lever is depressed thereby to swing lever 30, thecam roller 31 moves along the portion 26 of the cam groove,

- thence across the merging point of portions 26 and 24, and thereaftergradually moves outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2, in whichpositions the toggle is on centers and the type bar is in engagementwith the platen. The type bar, therefore, moves with a graduallyincreasing velocity during the first portion of its movement toward theplaten and with a diminishing velocity during the latter portionthereof, and is barely moving at the end of its stroke, the printingbeing effected by pressure rather than by impact or concussion.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, and Fig. 4 in particular, showingdiagrammatically the method of laying out the displacement diagram shownin Fig. 5, in which the line A represents the movement of the type bardivided into tenths corresponding to the movement of the key lever,which is assumed to travel at a uniform rate of speed. The line Brepresents the movement of the type bar actuated by the cam mechanismshown in Fig. 3, assuming the same tobe of one and one-half inch stroke,for convenience. The manner of obtaining the displacement of the typebar for each tenth of the movement of the key lever is in brief asfollows:

In Fig. 4 the point 40 represents the pivot point about which theoscillatory cam member turns. When the-typebar is in normal or retractedposition, the center line of the cam slot will be represented by thecurve 53-54, in the upper position shown, the lower positionrepresenting the position of the cam slot when the type bar has beenmoved to impression. The type bar link 44 is pivoted to the oscillatorycam member at the point 42 and to the type bar at 43. The point 43,during the stroke of the type bar, will pass along in a straight line,represented by the line A from the point 0 to the point 10, Fig. 5. Atthe same time the point 42 will traverse an are 42-41 to the point 41,when the toggle formed by the oscillatory cam member and the link 44will 'be in extended position, or lie in the same straight line, and thetype will have moved to the printing point represented by the point 10in the displacement diagram, Fig. 5. The cam lever 30 turns about apivot point 50 and carries the roller 31 adapted to traverse the camslot in the oscillatory cam member. This lever is adapted to swing thecam member from its upper or a normal position to its lower positionwhen the type bar is projected to the printing point, as aboveexplained, and the roller will traverse the are represented by line5655.

The cam is composed of three arcs, the first being from 55 .to 53 drawnfrom the point 50 as a center, so that any motion of the roller beyondthe point 55 will have no effect upon the cam. Second, that from 55 to57, drawn from the point 51 as a center, and third, that from 57 to 54having a central point 52. distance through which the key lever moves isdivided into ten equal parts. The number ten is simply assumed as aconvenient number of divisions. The are represented by line 55-56 isdivided into ten parts proportional to the equal divisions of the keyLet it be assumed that the lever dip in the following manner: Due to therelative length of'the pull wire 32 con-.

ten equal divisions of the key lever dip. By

projecting these dividing points upon the arc 5556, the arc will bedivided into parts corresponding to equal depressions of the key lever.The are 55-56 being thus divided, the remainder of the construction maynow be carried out as follows: Take, l

for example, the position of the oscillatory cam member rotating aboutthepoint 40 when in the position corresponding to the point 4 on'the are5556 or after the key I lever has moved four-tenths of its total dis.-tance. When the center of the cam roller 31 "animal is moved to thispoint along the above-mentioned line, since the center of the rollertraverses the center line 5354 of the cam member, this must cut the are55-56 at the same point. As the pivot point 42 has always a fixedrelation to the cam curve 5354, as will be clear from the constructionshown in Fig. 1, the position of the point 42 can then be laid out fromsaid assumed point 4 as follows: An arc is defrom the center 40 throughthis point 4',

representing the position assumed by the line 4042 when the cam centerline 53-54 cuts the are 55-56 at the point 4. The end of the line 44denoted by the point 42 will then be at the point 46. Taking this pointas a center and striking an are having a radius equal to the line 44,the point 4 upon the line A may then be found, representing the point towhich the type bar will have advanced when the cam lever 30 has moved asufiicient distance to carry the roller to the point 4, or after the keylever has moved through four-tenths of its total path of travel. In asimilar manner the other points upon the line A are established for theseveral divisions of the key lever dip.

From the displacement, diagram, Fig. 5, showing the movement of the typebar toward the printing point corresponding to the uniform movement ofthe key lever, may be laid off the velocity diagram shown in Fig. 6.Since the key lever is assumed to move with a uniform velocity, thedistance on the displacement diagram during each equal part of themovement of the keylever will be proportional to the velocity of thetype bar during that step. That is, since each tenth of the movement ofthe key lever is passed over in an equal interval of time, the averagevelocity of the type bar during that time will be proportional to thedisplacement of the type bar during that time. Therefore, upon thevelocity diagram, Fig. 6, the different velocities of. the type bar arelaid ofi' vertically upon lines located at the middle of each tenth intowhich the base line is divided, whereby they will represent the averagevelocity during that tenth. In order'that the nature of the curve may bemore clearly shown, these velocities are laid out as equal to twice the,displacement, as found from the displacement diagram, Fig. 5. If thesepoints, therefore, b'eplotted for each tenth and a curve drawntherethrough, the height of thise'urv'e above the 'base' line will givethe proportionate velocity of the type bar at any point its stroke. Fromthese two diagrams, Flgs. 5 and 6, the.

movement of the type bar resulting from the peculiar form of the camslot may be. studied.

The points in the line 13 shown in the displacement diagram and curve Bshown in the velocity diagram are obtained in the manner abovedescribed, from a cam slot of the form shown in Fig. 3, taken fromKidder Patent No. 567,241 above mentioned, the oscillatory cam memberswinging through a suificient arc, and the connecting part being soproportioned as to give the type bar an inch and a half stroke. Thiscurve is taken from the form of cam which happens to be shown in thedrawings of the Kidder patent, merely as illustrative of the differencesin action between the subject-matter of that patent and the presentinvention.

Before comparing the lines represented in these diagrams, the nature ofthe movement of a type action of this character should be brieflydiscussed and some of the important features to be noted, considered asfollows:

1st. The type bar should travel to the end of its stroke while the camroll has still a I considerable arc to traverse in the cam, for tworeasons a) In order to print noiselessly by pressure, very great poweris required at paratively long arc while the final pressure is appliedduring the last few thousandths of an inch of the stroke of the typebar. (6) If thetype bar approaches the final pressure point too rapidlyit will strike the paper, before reaching that point, sufficiently hardto make an objectionable noise.

2nd. The type bar should not start with too great a velocity in orderthat the impact uponthe finger of the operator resulting from the blowupon the key may not be unpleasant.

3rd. The type bar should not change its velocity at any one point toorapidly, either in the increasing or decreasing of its rate of movement.

4th. At no time should the velocity of the type bar be too high, as theconsequence thereof will result in a too rapid change in velocity inorder to properly slow down before reaching the end of the stroke.

The effect of the third and fourth features can best be studied from thevelocity diagram. Thus, at first sight it would appear that the velocitycurve represented by the line B would be more desirable. That is; theaction would start easily, and its high velocity and relatively rapidslowing down would be immaterial; but as a; matter of fact, th'e'curve Bresults in a most unpleasmutt-,4 to obtain its high velocity reuires ahard initial touch which would soon are-th operator, and during theperiod of ittcceleraltion, as the acceleration is constant, l thepressure'upon the key would continue to be about the same up to thepoint of greatest velocity. As the type bar almost immediately begins toslow*' own with great rapidity, pressure upon the key to continuethdpressure upon the key would practically cease, so that the feel ofthe action would beasjfithefinger had slipped from the key, tha' gsudden cessation of the pressure giving a niiist'unpleasant irregularityin the stroke.

ofaction, where the acceleration continues-steadily up to-the point ofhighest -'velocity'. .On the other hand,.with the curve 1%,: it-willbenoted that the greatest ac- .25. cleration isduring the first tenth ofthe stroke,-and while greater than the case of the first tenth of themovement being relatively such a small part of the total dis- 1:

operator and. compensated by the mome'ni8 of the finger. After the firsttenth, the momentum ofthe finger having been elim- ,-inated, theacceleration gradually decreases until. 1, the pointof greatest velocityis --jreached, which is considerably less than that 'represented by lineB and earlier in the stroke; but'after that point'the velocity begins todiminish gradually, and obviously at-no time diminishes with such speedas in the case of the line B, so that the pressure required ispractically constant. After the key lever has-been depressedseven-tenths ofyits' stroke the type bar is further advanced; and hasreached the point in its "stroke where the printing action begins totake place.

' It will therefore be seen that the reasons whereby the'actionrepresented by the curve A is preferable to the action represented by.thecurve B are, first, that the type bar has practically reached theend of its stroke while'the key lever has yet a considerable distance totravel; second, the velocity during the first part of the movement ofthe type bar is less than that of the velocity of the. type barrepresented by the curve B; third, the velocity of the type bar is moregradual in changing, and the change at no time is sufiicient to producean unpleasant feel in the touch; fourth, the point of highest velocityof the curve A takes place 'nearer the beginning of the stroke than .thepointof highest velocity in the curve B, thereby permitting the velocityto slow would be especially marked in any Thesecond table is given toshow the down during 'a greater range of movement of the type bar. Thesepoints of distinction may be shown moreclearly by the following tables,in the'first of which column '1 shows the distance remainin for .thetype bar to move during the last t rec-tenths of the key lever dip;column- 2 the greatest displacement of the type carrier during any tenthof the key lever dip, and column 3 the greatest difference indisplacement of the' type bar between successivetenths of the key leverdip, these figures-being given for' actual movement and per cent; of thetotal tenth of the key lever d1p m the type action represented by hne A:

= Actual move- Differ Key lever dip. mentbgtrtype- Per cent. encesInches. Per cent.

It will be seen from these tables that the 09.111.: 1. 2.. A. .0037lnch,:25% .36 inch, 21% .12 inch, 21% '13 .0069incn,.46%' 3911101136 70.161nch.-10}% differences are not large; nevertheless, it has I beenfound by numerous experiments and long experience that they are of greatimportance, and that a long stroke action wherein these values are notwithin proper limits, is impractical.

It will-accordingly be seen that I have provided a construction welladapted to attain, among others, all the ends and objects above pointedout in a simple, yet efficient manner. a

One important advantage of the present construction over that disclosedin prior constructions such as that of the patent to Kidder No. 567,241,above mentioned, is that the action has a smooth feel to the touch. Thisresult is attained, owing to the fact that the conformation given thecam groove of the toggle mechanism is such that the type bar startsslowly-attains its maxi mum velocity at an intermediate portion of Amongother advantages accruing herein are, a free running action is given tothe type bar; the inertia of the ty e bar is gradually overcome at thebeginning of the stroke thereby rendering it easy to start the same; thestroke has its greatest power at the end; and, moreover, the entireaction is substantially noiseless. St ll a other advantage resent hereinis that it is possible to rovi e alonger stroke for the type bar anstill retain in increosecl degree those great desiderato in typewritingmach nes of this character, which are essentially, smoothness andalertness of touch and a noiseless operation. The longer stroke giventhe type bar is, moreover, the sirable in machines of the character,since an arc of larger radius s provided for receiving the faces oi thetypes arranged upon the bed, and it is there ore possible to widen thefaces of the types,

In order toavoid any chance o ambig ity occuring in this specificationor in the claims, it may here be unde stood that by he te m sharplydeflected as used herein to describe the cam groove, is meant a camgroove of the above described characteristics and of such constructionthat when the key lever is depressed the type her will be moved with togradually increasing velocity during the first port of its movement,and'with nally diminishing velocity du in the lett part thereof incontrodistinction to the adually curved groove, such s is show n %'ig. 3of the drawings. By the: term feel is meant the character or ouolit ofthe re sistance interposed by the "k y le er to the finger of theoperator,

.As many changes could be made in the above construction and any appatly widely di ferent embodiments or. this in ntion could be made Withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is intendedthat all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desi e to secu byLetters Bnt nt is:

l, In a typewriting machi the c bination with the platen, of a typ ar,on osc llatory member ha ng it m groove sharply deflected near one endconnected with the type bar, a key lever, and means connected with saidkey lever and adapted to traverse the cam groove of said oscillatorymember to actuate the latter.

In a typewriting machi e, the combination with the plateh, of a straightthrust type bar, an oscillatory member connected with said type bar andhaving a cam groove portions of which are struck upon arcs havingdifferent radii and centers, :1 key lever, an actuating lever havingmeans adapted to traverse said cam groove, and a connection interposedbetween said key lever and said actuating lever.

3. In a typewriting machine, in combithereby adapted to traverse saidcom 901* tions a d move said type'her a o p e ter= mined speed. l

i- In a typewriting machine, the combi nation with the platen, of astraight thrust type bar and a key lever, means for projcebing the ypebar against the platen, oonr prising open of pivotolly conne t d r hereone of which is pivotolly connected with the typebar, and the otherthereof is similarly connected with a fixed portion of the framing ofthe machine, one of said members help provided with a cam path sharplydefleoged near one end, a, pivotally mounted lever having-a rolleradapted to traverse said cam path, and a link connecting said lever withthe key lever.

5. In a typewriti-ng machine,'the combination with the platen, of astraight thrust type her a d e le er, means for p j ing the type baragainst the platen, compricing a toggle formed of a pdir of pivotallyconnected links, one of which pivot} a y. connected with he type her,and the other'thereof; is simil rly connected with a fined upport, e o dlinks being pro= ided with a com groove a portion ofwhioh sharplydeflected with respect to h main portion or th a. lever having :1 ollerhdepted t t av cam groove wherey Said togg s straightened; thereby pro=l i g the yp her against the platen, and. a ating co ti n interposed.between said lever and the key lever,

o. In a type t g machine, the oomhi= nation with a platen of type barsadapted to conct therewith, a toggle comprising p i of pi tolly co tedmem ers, one of which i pivot y onnected with the y bar d. th er with a.re tively fixed s pport, one o the-members of a d toggle being providedwith acam surface, the first part of which is struck on a shorter radiusthan the la pa a ey l r, ac ua ing connecti n p ed een Said y'l and saggl and for traversing said cam surface thereby to straighten saidtoggle and project the type to printing position. W I l 7-. In a tyP nthe com nation of a'platen, an endwisc moving type bar, a toggle, onemember of which is piv= oted to 'the endwise moving type bar, hnd

llo

roll adapted to traverse said cam path, a key lever, and a linkconnecting sald swinging member and said key lever. 8. In a typewritingmachine, the comb1- nation of a type carr er, a platen, a togglecomprising a pair 0t plvotally connected members, one of which spivotally connected with the type carrier, and the other thereofsimilarly connected with a fixed support, one of said members beingprovided with an irregularly deflected cam groove in contradistinctionto a cam groove having a gradually curved conformation, and means sisfor straightening said. toggle to project the type bar against theplaten, comprising a swinging member pivoted upon the fixed support andhaving a roller adapted to traverse said cam groove, a key lever, and alink connecting said swinging member with said lever.

9. Ina typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, a type bar,an oscillatory member having an irregularly deflected cam grooveconnected therew1th, a key lever, and intermediate means engaging saidcam groove and adapted to traverse the same for moving said type bar.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, atype bar,an oscillatorv member having a cam groove sharply defleeted'near thefirst end thereof connected therewith, a key lever, and means actuatedby said key lever and engaging said cam groove in normal pos1t10n nearthe deflected portion of the groove adapted to move said oscillatorymember and connected type bar with a gradually increasing velocity atthe b ginning o the stroke an Wlth graduall-v clecr aeing Y lQClW' atthe en of the st oke. t

1.1. a typewriting ma in the cqmbin on wit platen, b a typ bat havlng alimited path o tra a operating m mher, and mech nical co p l ns betweensaid type bar an s operati g m mber for moving the ype ba during the fi411 21- ter stroke of -h op rn llg 'mcmber add tance o substantially tme-halt of its total path of travel an t'its maximu l yt 12. In atypewriting machine, the combination'with aplaten, of a type bar havinga limited path of ravel, an operating mel ber, and'mechanical.connection interven g between said type bar and sai opera ing member foradvancing s id typ bar upwar of ninety-n ne and one-half pe en of ttotal path of travel during the firs 'sev ntenths of the movement ofsaid operating member.

13. In a typewriting machine, t e com ination with a platen, of a typbar h in a limited path of travel, an operating meme her, and mechanicaconnections between said type bar and said operating member saidmechanical connection including a.

- operating member during the last threetenths of the stroke of itstravel will be greatly multiplied in its application to the type bar, sothat the latter, while advancing substantially one-quarter of one percent. or its total path of travel, may produce a powerful impression onthe material 1nte rvening between the printing portion of said type barand said platen.

14:. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, of a typebar, an operating member, and mechanical means connectlng said type barand said operating member for moving the type bar substantiallyone-quarter of one per cent, of its total path of travel during the lastthreetenths of the movement of said operating member.

15. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, of a typebar having a limited path of travel, an operating member, and mechanicalconnections between said type bar and said operating'member foradvancing said type bar less than onehundredth of an inch during thelast threetenths of the movement of said operating member. a

16. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, of a typebar, an operating member, and mechanical connections between said typebar and said operating member adapted to constantly change the velocityof said type bar, the diiierence between differences of the distancetraveled by the type bar in any two successive tenths of the movement ofthe key lever being less than nine per cent. of the total distancetraveled by the type bar.

17. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, of a typebar, an operating member, and mechanical connections between said typebar and said operating member comprising power multiplying devicesadapted to limit the movement of the type bar'and press the same againstthe platen at the end of its limited movement, said connections adaptedto move the type bar less than twenty-five per cent. -of the totaldistance traveled thereby during any one-tenth of the movement of thekey lever.

18. In a typewritipg machine, the combination with a platen, of anendwise moving type bar, an actuating member, intermediate connectionstherebetween includinga toggle, a cam path, and a member provided with aroll adapted to travel said cam path, said part of the dip of nationwith a, platen, of a, type erzrier, an actuating member therefer, atoggle comprisieg :1 mail of pivotelly c0. eeiecl members, one of whichis cennecse ii-lth the type carrier and the other with e fixed part ofthe frame a cam groove en one of said. parts, means for moving saidioggle to extended position to actuate the type be comprising e swingmmember lever and inser 30ml pivetecl to a relatively fixed suppert, abetween ada teal $0 transmit roll Ci1illd thereby adapted. to traverse:1 one 0 ehe OellQl, including cam grecve, said cam groove beinglm'eguand e part a lerly curved whereby {luring successive curveiur oftenths of the movement 0f the Eating with Y9. member the differencebetween.,edlfiereeces 24:. L1 the distance trzwersecl by e e type nationwl shall be less than nine per cent {he toial l stroke of the type bar.be'iween. ecle ed '50 tran mit n 20 In a. typewriting machine,combineiienwith e platen, of a type be key lever and intermediatemechanism therebetween for transmitting Kellen from one ,0 the otherincluding cam meme-er and e 1 4.1 1,, v. I pert coastin ieerevvltn, wefli'Sll pare oi 1 me cam 0e 12 13112.11 tee letter 2 e31! LiCix nationwith a 0i a less recims ei curvature lever J Key level a :21. in e 3 3*we nation lever between Ier to the eer ineluiling e cam ctme tere-571th, one e l 1 bemg sharply eurvee ene more gradually curvel.

in a t pewriting meezi. natlen *mth a platen, 0f a t: l v 1 lever, andmtermedlate meehanlrzn enere- Me Me. Seeemxs.

@epiee e2 1:1

